Hiking to Wainui Falls, Abel Tasman National Park

The road between Takaka and Totaranui is a treasure trove of beaches, sweeping views and short hikes. Wainui Falls is, in my opinion, the best place to stop along this scenic route. This short hike takes you through some pristine New Zealand bush and the powerful waterfall makes for a great payoff.

The Hike to Wainui Falls

It takes around 30 minutes to reach Wainui Falls and there is heaps to see along the way. The Wainui River will be your companion for most of the walk and its pristine green water almost begs you to jump in and swim (it’s a pity we visited towards the end of autumn). There are also several small rapids along the way and a picturesque suspension bridge.

Wainui Falls

This 7 metre high waterfall is said to be one of the most impressive in Abel Tasman National Park (it’s possibly 20 metres high — there is so some conflicting information online about this but it looks more like 7 metres to me!). Its roar almost acts as a warning — don’t get too close or you’ll get wet! It’s a hard place to get a good photo of because of this, even with a GoPro. The rocks are very slippery, so be careful if you climb over them to get a better angle. I saw a guy slip over, luckily he wasn’t injured, but he did look a bit embarrassed.

Getting to Wainui Falls

Head north from Takaka along Abel Tasman Drive. It takes around 30 minutes to reach the turnoff, and the car park is down a short gravel road. There is a public toilet there and also a cool looking cafe.

Other hikes in Abel Tasman National Park

The Abel Tasman Coastal Track is one of New Zealand’s “Great Walks” and takes between three and five days to complete. Like many others, we didn’t have time to complete the whole track. We chose a small section of it to walk and were completely satisfied; check out the post below for more details.